CSEA: Wisconsin is Ground Zero (video added)

The 150 or so public (with a smattering of private sector) union employees that came to a solidarity demonstration a few minutes ago at CSEA headquarters in Albany may pale in comparison to the thousands who have occupied the Wisconsin state capitol this week, but labor activists said they were standing behind their brethren in the Badger State.

Toting signs that read “We support Wisconsin workers,” and chanting “Hey Hey, Hey Ho, Union Busting Has Go to Go,” local labor officials said the battle raging in Wisconsin is yet another example of how the U.S.’s middle class is under assault.

“Wisconsin is ground zero,” said Kathleen Scales, Executive Director of the Capital District Area Labor Federation.

Most of those at the Friday afternoon rally said they realized the changes proposed by Wisc. Gov. Scott Walker go far beyond anything that’s been discussed in New York. Walker has presented legislation that would pull collective bargaining rights for public unions (except police and firefighters) for all but salary issues. He’s also looking for big increases in health and pension payments from the unions.

But there was plenty of anger, largely about what union members view as a pass given to the rich in the form of tax cuts in recent years, which they say have led to current budget shortfalls.

“It’s an assault by the very rich on the middle class,” said Joe Seeman, a union activist and MoveOn member. “I don’t know if they are going to get away with it in Wisconsin,” he said of Walker’s plan. “It wouldn’t happen here.”

Others shared the belief that Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while looking to cut state workers costs and playing hardball with talk of potential layoffs, probably wouldn’t try outright union busting. He is, after all, a Democrat (Walker is a Republican) and New York is the bluest of blue states (Wisconsin, though, has a long history of labor activism as well as progressive politics).

“I don’t think he’s the type of individual that would allow that to happen in New York State,” Sharon DeSilva, a lawyer and PEF member, said of Cuomo.